West Midlands Physical Activity Network

Steering Group Meeting

Wednesday 17th March 2010

Trident Care and Support, Trident House, Erdington

Apologies:

Richard WhincupActive Recreation Manager, Herefordshire & Worcestershire CSP

Cathy FerridayPhysical Activity Lead, Sandwell PCT

Miranda AshwellProgramme Lead for Physical Activity Shropshire PCT

Angela GabbPhysical Activity Lead, Solihull PCT

Dawn GriffithsSenior Specialist - Health and Environment

Yvonne GilliganRegional Director Midlands, Sustrans

Mark ThornewillCSP Director, SASSOT

Present:

Erica RogersPhysical Activity Network Co-ordinator, PAN-WM

Bal JohalPhysical Activity Advisor, Dudley PCT

Suzanne Gardner Regional Health & Physical Activity Co-ordinator,

Louise MillsSenior Health Improvement Manager, Telford PCT

Jas JawandaTransport Support Officer,CoventryCity Council

Chris GidlowCentre for Sport and Exercise Research

Staffordshire University

Linda TromanSchool Travel Advisor, Dudley MBC

Matters Rising

  • Business Plan Actions
  • Existing work programmes for 09/10
  • Budget and Work programmes for 10/11
  1. Outstanding actions
  • The group checked over the minutes from last meeting and agreed happy to be uploaded onto the website.
  • After questions regarding the Active Celebration Casebook completion at the last meeting, Suzy informed us that it will be ready for distribution by end of March.
  • CSP update- as no CSP representatives were present at the meeting, Mark Thornewill has agreed to update the group at May’s meeting. The group raised the importance to have regularrepresentation at director level to update the steering group and also obtain useful information to share with CSP’s after each meeting. The group requested an earlier update before May if possible. Erica to speak with Mark.
  • Three new board members were present at the meeting, Linda Troman and Jas Jawanda representing TravelWise/ Active Travel plus Chris Gidlow representing Centre for Sport and Exercise Research,Staffordshire University.
  • The group agreed it would be useful for the new representatives to have a brief induction to PAN-WM to understand its purpose, history, roles and responsibilities of steering group etc. Erica to arrange meeting for induction.

Erica / To add minutes to website
Erica / To speak with Mark Thornewill re: update
Erica / To arrange an induction for new representatives
  1. Outstanding work programmes for 09/10
  • The Young Person’s Care Pathway Project- the scope is now in its final development with plans to be commissioned by autumn 2010.
  • PCT audit-finalising the design ready for completion this week (wk com 15th March).
  • Older Person’s Audit- the project has been extended by 1 month to allow a better response from PCT’s and LA’s. Completion will be end of April 10. Dissemination of report planned for an event 17th June 10.
  • 2012 Ambassadors project- commissioned by end of April.
  • Social Marketing project- just been completed and will be on the promotingPA toolkit website this Month (March).
  • Dance Active- 3rd week of training underway and final training next week for PCT’s and LA’s to help them understand the dance sector and the commissioning process. Potential to roll this out nationally through YDE.
  • NGB programme- Gareth Mapp leading on this project. Gareth is producing briefing paper for DH to secure the funding.
  • Children’s Exercise Referral Project- Now dropped.East Midlands were leading on this but had no takers when put out for tender. The funding was unable to be commissioned within DH procurement timescales and so has now been included in underspends.
  • Disability programme- Action plan currently being developed.
  • MEND walk to school project- delivered by May 10. Linda Tromans will update on its progress at May’s meeting.

Linda / To update group of the progress of MEND walk to school at May’s meeting
  1. Budgets for 2010/11
  • DH is currently reviewing the obesity budgets which include PAN-WM and its posts. At present regional programme monies are held up although after a recent meeting at DH, regional priorities should be known in the next week.
  • Erica ad Suzy’s contracts are up for renewal at the end of March 2010 and they are optimistic that some funding will be available to continue roles. Physical Activity has a chapter in the Chief Medical Report with priorities such as pre-school, older people and minimum recommendations for PA.
  • Suzy and Erica will inform the group of any news as soon as they have it.
  1. 2010/11 work programmes
  • Due to the possibilities of a cut in budgets, the programmes are work for the next financial year is likely to be different from the last. There will be less commissioning and more in house projects.
  • Suzy has completed a template with priorities of work for 2010/11 that will be submitted to DH.
  1. Progress update for target audience
  • At the last meeting steering group members agreed to encourage those PCT’s and LA’s who are not currently members of PAN-WM to join.
  • Membership information and the offer of a Free 3 month trial were sent out.
  • Since then all CSP’s are now members plus new members for Coventry PCT, Redditch BC and 3 NGB’s.
  • Linda Tromans offered to help encourage more orgs in Active Travel and Bal talked about a potential new member who is interested in our Older People’s work.
  • The group raised a point about using our website to promote what we do more effectively. Often organisations do not know about projects that PAN-WM are involved in and therefore don’t have a good understanding of our role and the value of membership. Past PAN-WM projects should stand out on our web pages.
  • Suggestions were made to target students at a potential PAN-WM event this year looking at research links with universities.
  • New development plans to target the remaining potential members will be targeted in a marketing campaign if funding is available. See below.
  1. Business Plan ideas for 2010
  • Erica talked through a suggested action plan for 2010 to help generate more income for the network for its sustainability. See separate sheet.
  • The first suggestion is to use the expertise of John Ainsworth who developed the Promoting PA toolkit to set a new marketing plan. The idea is to use existing members to gain referrals and then to drip feed useful information to entice them into membership.
  • The plan would also look at the conversion rate of the web landing pages. Both techniques would involve the work of John and Erica over a period of 3 months with an aim to increase membership by 50%. The group agreed this should be pursued if funding is available.
  • The group talked further about the idea of setting up an external event management service. After further research it seems the demand would be limited and there were also concerns of capacity andits feasibility. The group agreed to not pursue this suggestion. Although some discussion around PAN-WM working with CSP’s to help plan and organise future Sport and PA forums was positive. Erica agreed to look at exactly what’s involved and to feedback to the group.
  • Further discussions were made regarding PAN-WM future business status as some time back it was agreed that the network should gain charity status and look at VAT needs.
  • Erica talked about potentially taking on the expertise of a charityconsultant to help get set up and also to advice on VAT. The group agreed to discuss further at our next meeting with more details.
  • Finally the group discussed the potential to gain CPD recognition through Skills Active for future PAN-WMN events which would attract more people to the network and increase our credibility. Erica talked through our options and all agreed it was a good idea and something to pursue again depending on funding. It was suggested that if we gain CPD recognition for all our events we should consider increasing our membership fees.

Erica / Look at Sport and PA Forum work
Erica / Gain further details of charity consultancy
  1. Ideas for Induction pack for new recruits into PA
  • Erica briefly talked through an idea to produce an induction pack for new recruits in PA giving them a better understanding of the sectors, who’s involved and their roles. See separate sheet.
  • This could also be a possible e-learning tool.
  • All agreed this would be beneficial and agreed to send feedback on the ideas to Erica.

All / To look at Induction pack ideas and send feedback to Erica
  1. Any other Business
  • Suzy informed the group of the Chief Medical Officer’s report which is now out. There is a chapter on physical activity and the priorities. The report can be found on DH website.
  • Erica raised an issue about memberspassing on the e-bulletin to non members and the importance to keep it for members only to encourage more to join. Members should be notified of this if found to be passing information on.
  • Linda talked about some of the TravelWise projects for 2010 which included the school transition DVD, walkingchallenge and regional travel planning training. Linda to send any event dates to Erica to add to web and bulletin.

Linda / send TravelWise event dates to Erica

Next meeting – Wednesday 19th May 2010 10-12pm at PAN-WM Erdington Offices

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